Rectifier assemblies



C s- WEYANDT RECTIEIER ASSEMBLIES Filed Oct. 28. 1955 2 Sheets-sheet 1 cgm Wm N0 T Oct. 22, 1957 es.' wEY-ANDT 2,810,871

RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES Filed OCT'. 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lof- INVEN TOR. Y

nited States Patent O RECTIFIER ASSEMBLIES Carl S. Weyandt, Indiana, Pa.

Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,302

Claims. (Cl. 317-234) rIhis invention relates generally to rectifier assemblies and more particularly to the configuration `shape and structure of the elements making up a rectier stack.

Rectifier disks have been made in the form of circular disks with holes in the center and square disks with a hole in the center, and also in the form of square disks with arcuate or square notches in the opposed edges thereof for receiving assembly posts. Every time that a rectifier is handled and is subjected to a punching action for forming the hole in the center or in the edges, the rectifying material is ruptured and sometimes causes blemishes which is the principal source of rejects in the rectifier cells before they are assembled or sometimes these blemishes do not show up until after the stack is formed, which of course causes the whole stack to be scrapped. Again the holes in the center and the notches in the sides of the receiver plates reduce the area which can be employed for rectification.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a rectifier plate, the edges or center portion of which is imperforated, permitting the whole of the plate to be available for rectification and to avoid operations on the rectiiier plate that would cause the same to form blemishes which would interfere with the operation of the rectifier.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a form of a clip which engages an insulating post for the purpose of applying pressure to and for holding the rectifier stack in assembled relation.

Another object is the provision of the insulated posts assembly which would employ the natural configuration of the rectier plates in holding them in assembled relation. This is performed by putting grooves in the opposed faces of the insulating posts to receive the corners or the opposed sides of the great diameter of a circular disk. These being the natural shapes the rectifier disks do not require the additional operation in perforating or notching plates and thus thereby avoid blemishes in the rectifier itself and increase the production.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplitlcation, without limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

Fig. l is a view in elevation of the rectifier assembly comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a View in end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation showing the modified form of this invention.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of Fig. 7.

ice

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. l() is a sectional View taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 7.

Fig. ll is a sectional view taken along the line 11--11 of Fig. 7.

Fig. l2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 the rectifier stack is formed on the U-shaped insulating bracket 1 which comprises the base member 2 and the insulated posts 3. The insulated posts in this instance are rectangular in cross section, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 2. The insulating posts being formed integral with the base form a U-shaped assembly member. A mounting screw 5 is placed on the under side of the base 2 for the purpose of mounting the rectifier stack. This mounting post is not in any way connected with the electrical circuit of the rectifier.

The rectifier stack comprises the series of plates 6 which are rectangular in shape and are provided with a rectifying element, such as selenium or other similar rectifying material. These plates are stacked as shown in Fig. l, six in number, between the insulating posts 3. As illustrated in Fig. 4 there are no notches on the plate. The plate is in rectangular form and its edges are free not only from the insulating posts 3 but from everything else when placed in the stack as illustrated in Fig. l.

The bottom of the stack is provided with the conducting strip 7. This conducting strip has slots 8 at each end thereof to slide over the posts 3. The conducting strip 7 is provided with two small ridges 10 at opposite ends to form the bridging section which is in spaced relation with the base. This bridging `section which is in spaced relation with the base. This bridging section functions to produce a resilient action in the conducting strip itself in that there is no supporting member intermediate of the abutments 10.

The conducting strip 11 at the opposite end of the stack is likewise provided with the openings 8 to receive the post 3. However the intermediate portion of the conducting strip 11 is somewhat different than that of the conducting strip 7 in that its central portion is bent downwardly and inwardly as indicated at 12 to engage the first of the plates 6. Thus the ends of the conducting strip 11 form a spring backing for the clips 13 which are provided with an aperture to receive the post 3 and are also provided with a tongue 14 which if flattened would close the opening 15 to receive the insulating post 3 materially close and therefore functions as a clamping device, preventing the removal of the clip from the post once it has been set.

Each of the plates 6 when mounted in stacked relation are divided by the spring pressure spacing element 16. These spring spacer elements are in the'form of rectangular sheets which are corrugated to provide pressure contacting surfaces between adjacent selenium rectifier plates. Each of the plates 16 has a notch at the end thereof, indicated at 17, for the purpose of forming a bifurcation that straddles the insulating posts 3 and maintains their position. As illustrated in Fig. 1, each pressure element is provided with eleven corrugations, five of which engage one plate and six engage the opposite plate. These engagements not only carry the current in the stack but also dissipate any heat that has developed within the rectifier during its operation. However, the rectifier plate in general is exposed as illustrated in Fig. 5 so that the heat may be readily dissipated therefrom.

After the rectifier has been stacked and the clips 13 have been placed on the posts the same is dipped in the paint which aids in retaining the position of the rectiers and also helps to prevent them from becoming disas sembled.

With this structural arrangement the rectifier need not Vatf24 in Fig; ll.

be punched, perforated or notched in any manner, and thus the blemishes are'materially reduced in the production, thereby increasing theeiciency of manufacturing the rectifier stacks and also'increasingthe-qualitypofthe stack` owing to the fact that it'lrad` no cutting operations other than the forming of the plate itself to interfere with its operation. Y

In the structure as shown in Figs. 7 to l2 ther-rectifier plate 18'is square in shape-and the insulating Ui-shaped bracket 19 with its base 20 and mounting post S isprovided with parallel round insulating posts 2l.l These posts are provided with notches 22, as vshown inihFigs'. 10V and ll, which oppose each other, and thesenotches take the form Yofi a right angle tofreceive the opposite. corners Y of the rectifier plate 18.` Each of the,V corrugatedspacer stripsv23 is also provided with.- pointed ends, as illustrated A bottom/terminal or conductor 25. is likewise provdedwith a slot in the. shape ,of the insulating post so that it may-be slide thereover. This-terminal is provided With'two abutmentsv 26 at eachjendthereof Whichform the bridgingsection 27 intermediate'thereof and provide for a resilient-backing ofV the rectifier stack.

The upper terminal 28 is providedwith similar open ings to fit over Vthe post andlis also provided with a depending section, such as indicated at 30; which forms` the resilient bridging sections 31, ateachV end of y,the Vterminal member 28, which in turn backup the clips 32,

which are provided with a cross-sectional'opening to receiverthe posts 21 andare provided with tongue 33l that engages in the groove 22 of the post/21 and thereby locks the stack Vin position. Y

Here again the rectifier plate itself is not perforated or notched or otherwisev cut'fol receiving any assembly Velements and each-ofthe elements employed inrassemblingv thejrectiiier stack is substantially-the. same inboth sets, the only difference being inthe use of the right angle grooves cut in the postof` the second group, which aid i in. maintaining alignment betweeny the rectifier plates.-

These plates maybe of any size or shape. The angles may berformed from a hexagonalv washer or the plates may be circular in cross section, as shown lin the prior Y art, in which case the notches 22in` the insulatingpost kwill be arcuate.

The important factor of this'invention over the-prior art Yis the fact'that the rectifier cellsehave no cutouts whatsoever. Having no holes in the center or cutouts on the edge, they provide the full area foroperating as a rectifyng unit. Again thefact of'making cutouts-either in the edges or in the center of therplate endangersrthe structure of the selenium cell, creatingsure. hazards, vmaking them unsuitable for use. Thus by employing plates ofstandard uniform sizertheproduction isj increased by not having considerable wasteV owing. to. punchingk operations for the holes in the sides .or center of the disk. Y

n Another important factor of this inventionV resides in the fact that a rectifier of this type can be assembled spaced insulated posts-supporting the assembled rectier stack at two Vdiametrically opposite portions of said plates, stack clamping meansy includingf aV clip having a hole formed with a tongue extending into the hole, the hole being large enough to slip over the end of a post and Y cause the tongue to flex and engage the post torretain said rectifier staclgundergpressur 2. Thestructure of,clairn.6 whichalso includesa con- Y ducting-stripfat'each endV of theV stack in. Contact with ati least: aportion of the. surface oftheV corresponding end; rectifier. plate, said conducting strip,v adjacent saidv clipisv formed ,withanoverhanging section that functionsv as-,an additional spring when in engagement with said c.ip to,V aid in -lockinggthe Ystack in assembled: relation. V

3. Thel structure of'claim vvhich also includes a conducting strip l at each' end'of the stack in Contact Awith atleastga portieri of the;surface.of the corresponding 'end rectifierl pl ate,gone of said, conductingstrips has abutments adjacent theends-thereoffto form a resilientl bridge Ytherebetween to,v backup; said rectifierv stack.

4. rl`he structureofclaimdwhich alsoincludes arcon;V ducting strip at each end of the stackin contact with at least aportiOIlOi thersurface of the corresponding end rectifier plate, one of said conductingstrips'has an `inter-` mediate abutment providing Aa cantilever endswhich forms aresilient backupfor the clip holding the, rectifier stack inassernbled.relation 5. AQrectifier comprising-a plurality4 ofimperforated rectiienplatesV assembledato form areCtifier-stack, two` spasrdinsulatedposts supporting thelassembled rectifier Vstack at two diametrically opposite portions of said rectilier. plates,stack,clamping means engaging said posts to--retaing said ,rectifier stack underl pressure, said rectifier plates;.havingY at vleasttwo, oppositely disposedv angular corners and the inner face ofsaidposts'having continuous spacedabutment: meansto 'receive the., opposite kside edgesiofftwoioppositely disposed platecorners when. the prevent them from elements-,are-'stacked therebetween and becoming misalignedt,

References ,Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES .PATENTS 2,720,616!Y *Vanderhiooflua O'ct. 11.71955 

